Rubrics Comparison Chart

When grading online assignments, having a clear and effective rubric is essential. Canvas has different assignment platforms with varying rubric features and functionalities.

In this comparison chart, we'll look at three popular tools for grading and assessment—Canvas, Google Assignments, and Gradescope—and their rubric capabilities. This chart will help you make informed decisions and better understand these essential features.

Rubric comparison
Tool	Canvas Rubrics	Google Assignment Rubrics	Gradescope Rubrics
Assignment type that can graded	Assignments and discussions¹	Assignments submitted as Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, PDFs	Quizzes, essays, programming assignments, & exam questions
Rubric visibility for students	Before submission and after grading	Before submission and after grading	Partial. Only after receiving their grade²
Rubric creation	Before student submissions³	Before and after student submissions	Before and after student submissions
Rubric flexibility	No. The rubric can’t be edited while grading. Changes to a rubric⁴ do not apply retroactively to graded submissions	No. You can’t edit or delete a rubric after you start grading with it	Yes. The rubric can be edited on the fly and changes apply retroactively to other graded submissions
Qualitative feedback within the rubric.	Yes. As free-form comments	No⁵	No⁵
Format rubric items	No	No	Yes. Accepts Markdown and LaTeX
Type of scoring	Positive points and ranges	Positive	Positive and negative points
Extra Credit	Yes⁶	No	Yes
Grading workflow	Per student	Per student	Per question
Reuse a rubric	Yes⁷	Yes	Yes
Share a rubric	Yes⁸	Yes	No

Notes:

You may add a rubric to a quiz, but you won’t have the option to use the rubric to grade the quiz.
You can hide the rubrics from students.
Verify accuracy and completeness before attaching the same rubric to multiple assignments. To edit, detach the rubric from all but one assignment, then reattach the updated version to all assignments.
You cannot edit a rubric attached to multiple assignments in a course. Instead, create a copy of the rubric and edit the duplicate.
Qualitative feedback can be provided outside of these rubrics as a comment.
To include extra credit in a Canvas Rubric, the rubric’s total points should exceed the total points entered in the assignment details. For an assignment worth 10 points and with 2 points of extra credit, the rubric should display 12 points. Follow these steps to create a Canvas Rubric that's used for grading:

Add all the assessment criterion and their points. These total points should be the same points as the assignment’s points.
Add an extra credit criterion to the rubric.
Enter the amount of extra credit in the Pts box.
Check the box Use this rubric for assignment grading
Click Update Rubric
A pop-up labeled Change Assignment Points to Match Rubric. Click Leave Different.

To reuse rubrics from outside Canvas courses in a new course, import them through the Import Course Content tool or use the Find a Rubric link:

Create an assignment in the new course
Click +Rubric
Select Find a rubric at the top right corner
Find the rubric from the previous course and attach it to the new assignment

To share a Canvas rubric with another instructor:

Create a blank assignment and attach the rubric to share.
Share the assignment with the instructor.

Additional Resources

Rubrics: Build & Use Rubrics

UCSB Canvas Team video tutorial on rubrics

Knowledge Base by Topic: Rubrics

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